A Tale of Two Cities: Environmental Struggles from Istanbul to Athens — Today Turkey Tomorrow Greece

A Tale of two cities: Athens and Istanbul.

Speaking tonight in Istanbul’s historic GEZI park next to Taksim square: Join up to hear my speech on the topic of ”How the Environmental Movement is building DEMOCRACY through action — while creating resilient societies and healthy Ecosystems”

Turkey has been going through it’s own convulsions and the underlying environment has been trashed through each and every one of these steps in the current history of the country. Yet the young people finally had had enough. When the last 600 trees came to be razed, the people erupted in dutiful Civil Disobedience. That is the defining moment of Turkeys’ maturity into a Democracy. A democracy as defined by the Citizen’s participation in collaborative government. Of course there is Mr Erdogan who chose to play the nasty role of an old fashioned Dictator and now has got to go. It’s just a matter of time…

The protests that began four weeks ago over a controversial construction project at Istanbul’s Gezi Park revealed to the astonished leadership in Ankara and a surprised global public how open the identity of modern Turkey remains.

While Turkey’s real per capita income has increased by a factor of one-and-a-half, Turkey has become both more cosmopolitan and more religious, more progressive and more conservative, more urban and more provincial.

It is a country that has always had its sights set firmly on the West, ever since its founding 90 years ago, its accession to NATO more than 60 years ago and its application for admission to the European Union 25 years ago. This country, which has experienced a remarkable economic boom for the last decade, is now confronted with the same question it faced 90 years ago — namely — who is really a Turkish Democrat and where does Turkey want to go to meet it’s future…

We’ll attempt to answer some of the questions in our Gezi Park speech this evening, but most importantly we’ll talk about how the Environmental Movement works not only for a better tomorrow for all of you, but also for a better and more resilient Democratic Society.

Yours,

Pano

PS:

Next days will participate in the Global Power Shift Forum in Istanbul and then will offer another speech on the Future of Turkey’s Environment Democracy and the People at the University.

Later in the week I will speak in Greece on behalf of the Human Right to Clean Breathable Air in the city of Athens — whose pollution and lack of Oxygen has reached nightmare proportions. Much like Turkey Greece’s environment is angry and depleted. True to their wasteful Ottoman heritage both countries are rife with corruption and lack of Democracy. Ergo their ecosystems are totally trashed. Dirty air is not the only problem of Athens but by burning up all the surrounding forests the modern day descendants of Pericles are starved of oxygen and unable to think properly. They go so far as to believe they are being sprayed upon just in order to attempt to explain the general malaise they are feeling and the lack of brain fuel…

It’s no accident that both countries that were created from the ruins of the old Ottoman empire which itself was a certain continuation of the Byzantine one, have consistently disregarded their Environment at their peril.

Now is time to right the wrongs. On both sides of the pond. The Aegean pond that is and the Peoples of the Balkans are in due time ready for a serious clock cleaning… Because the Greeks same like the Turks of today are faced with revolutionary aspirations and existential dilemmas.

Which road to take is not just a question in Istanbul — but very much the question in Athens as well.

Therefore — Join me in Athens Thursday evening, to discuss these issues because in Athens today, a rather serious and unseen Environmental Struggle is waged by a few brave souls.

A serious steady battle on behalf of the people of Athens who have to live with polluted air, toxic water, and unhealthy food.

Join up Thursday at the Greek Oxygen event in Athens to talk about the City and it’s people.

Fill your bowl to the brim
and it will spill.
Keep sharpening your knife
and it will blunt.
Chase after money and security and your heart will never unclench.
Care about people’s approval
and you will be their prisoner.
Don’t waste your Life – Wise Up…
Just do your work, then step back.
Walk away – Keep on Serving – the only path to serenity.